What are the clinical symptoms of pancreatic cancer?
The clinical symptoms of pancreatic cancer are non-specific. Publications on that matter usually emphasise the role of the classic triad of symptoms: epigastric pain, wasting and jaundice. Unfortunately, once these symptoms appear, most patients already have cancer in an advanced stage, with metastases to neighbouring lymph nodes and to the liver. In some patients jaundice is the first symptom of the disease. Jaundice without pain in particular should be an alarming finding, leading promptly to further investigations. The occurrence of diabetes or carbohydrate metabolism disturbances is another important symptom, which may indicate pancreatic cancer. top How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed? Imaging studies are essential in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (ultrasound, computed tomography). Serology investigations and the determination of so-called cancer markers are of limited value and do not really contribute to the differential diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. ERCP can be useful in
